Do Me A Favor

Twice this year, people I know hit rock bottom on depression and decided they had not options other than to end their lives. Each was the far extreme of candidates to do something that stupid, that selfish, but none the less, they did it.

In both cases, I know I could have offered hope, offered some kind of perspective that would make that not seem like an option. If the people in your life have mattered to you at all, why would you want to sentence them to a lifetime of wondering “What if…?” One of these was 20-something caught up in the party scene, had battled some demons in his young life, but appeared to have conquered them. The other was in his late 50’s and had apparently been battling serious depression in the past year. He had found religion, but even as active as he was in his church, it wasn’t enough.

When I hear someone throwing their life away, I can’t help but think of all the people hearing news that they have a terminal disease that would have gladly traded places with them. Or, the person in their 80s who watches the final years tick away…but would give anything to be in their position.

You have life. It’s a gift, it’s a treasure, it’s a commodity. We are all free to do with it as we want, but there are so many options out there rather than just ending it. Go see the world and leave everything behind. Do something you’ve always wanted to do. Positive feeds on positive….choose negative and you’ll just keep going down.

I saw a family who had to bury their son. I saw a daughter who had to come back from school in the east to attend a memorial service for her father. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain suicide causes. Both of these people I’ve told you about were NOT mean people. They just felt they were beyond help.

If you’ve got me as a friend, you’ve always got help.

Just so you know it’s me writing this, there was a comedic moment as I left the memorial. As I approached my car, the vehicle next to me had a license plate frame that said, “I’d rather be shopping at Nordstrom.” I thought, “What a cruel thing to say!”